Is Your Website Having a Midlife Crisis?
How Often Should You Update Your Website?
Website design sure has changed since we first started logging on to the World Wide Web. Design trends have shifted, of course, based on our changing aesthetic tastes. The way we code and create websites has changed also.
Business owners know they need a website, but they may wonder what type of website and style of website design is best for their needs. As a Raleigh marketing agency, we work with many types of companies. Here is what you need to know about website design for yours.
Website Design Basics
Keep design simple.
Your grandmother’s avocado-colored refrigerator looks dated now. Likewise, you can’t get away from having to redesign your site every so often, so you don’t appear out of touch. However, you can give it staying power for a bit longer by selecting clean, professional, and simple designs. Clean lines and white space enable you to hang through the fads.
Add some movement.
Generating a clean, simple site doesn’t translate into creating something boring. Today’s websites have some movement to catch the eye. Skip the slideshows; studies have shown they aren’t great for converting customers, and most people ignore them anyway. The action might be video, text being typed onto the screen, or interactive segments that flip, twist, or pivot when a mouse hovers over them.
Increase font size.
We’ve noticed lately that the font on some websites is a bit small. We’re not sure why. Some of your audience probably wear reading glasses. Most of them are looking at your site on a smartphone or tablet. Deploy a website with a font that people can read without trying too hard.
Refresh text often.
Develop your core website text, but don’t leave it to gather dust. Google likes to see updated websites. A blog is a perfect way to do this, with new posts at least once per month. However, that doesn’t mean your other text and images should remain the same for years. Choose a time each year to swap out some photos, review the Meet the Team page, and make adjustments in other ways.
Avoid flash.
Flash has been dying for years now. Remove any from your website if you still have it.
Consider your needs.
Website design should be based on what your site needs to accomplish. If your only goal is to generate leads, you may focus your design so that your website operates more like a landing page. Company websites tend to offer a lot, acting as a brochure where people can learn more. People cram a lot into them. That’s OK — if you also have some landing pages out there linked to your ad campaigns. But if you want to drive all traffic to your site, the main page needs to be focused on converting people, without all the extras. Talk to your website design team about how your website needs to function.
Don’t be afraid of scroll.
For years, we created websites with no scroll. That’s what people wanted. Desires have shifted, and scroll is OK again. Still, that doesn’t mean you can scroll forever. And, you must tweak the site for mobile, making it easy for phone users to get what they need quickly.
How Often Should I Update My Website?
Website design is always changing, but so is the code we use to create them. Mattress makers have set a 10-year rule for your mattress. For websites, you might say five years. After that, it’s heavy, full of dust, and probably needs to be refreshed.
How Can I Work with a Website Designer?
Deploying a fantastic website is a process, one we find fun. But many clients consider it challenging; they don’t know about websites or design, or what text to put on the site. They assume they get us going, and that’s it, but we ask for input at each phase of the process to make sure the result is something you love. Sometimes, the challenge comes from design by committee. When hiring a website designer or marketing team for your website project, talk to them about their process. Appoint the people on your team who will be part of the discussions. Most of all, set yourself deadlines for getting back to your design or marketing team with feedback.
If you have questions about your website design, reach out to us so we can figure out if we’re your Department of Marketing.